Chapter 807: Feast

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

As Wang Zhong thought about this term, he seemed to have gone into a daze.

“Hey, I’m talking to you. Why are you in a daze?” Lan Daier stretched out her hand and waved it in his face impatiently.

“I’m listening,” said Wang Zhong as he grinned. He had already briefly informed Lan Daier about the incident just now, but he didn’t mention the Headless Knight.

“Seems like you are rather talented in summoning since you succeeded on your first try. Don’t underestimate this or think that being able to do this is nothing. In fact, many people can’t do it.” Lan Daier’s reaction to this matter was almost the same as Teacher Bobo and the others. “Although you are in the Tyrants, since you are gifted, I still recommend that you look through some information on wards masters. But it is best to find a professional teacher to guide you. Do not only rely on your own explorations, and most importantly, do not forcibly get involved in the field of summoning.

“In fact, there are many restrictions in the field of summoning. This is a two-way process which cannot be viewed purely from the perspective of human beings. They covet creatures of the Dimensional World, but in fact, to them, we are also summoned beasts.”

“Hehe, if I’m a great summoning master, I will summon Sister Daier!” said Wang Zhong, as he gave her a thumbs up.

“You’ve grown more daring!” said Lan Daier with a smile. “I have a really good friend who happens to be a Great Wards Master. The layout of my house, including the layout of my private lab, was all designed by her. If you reach a certain standard, I will introduce you to her.”

“Umm, about this… Let’s talk next time.” Wang Zhong seemed to be lacking in interest.

Lan Daier just smiled. She had already known Wang Zhong for quite some time and understood him rather well. Although this guy usually appeared quite modest and low-key, in fact, ‘still waters run deep’ described him well. Simply speaking, he was a rather narcissistic boy.

However, it was probably because he didn’t know who this friend of hers was. In fact, the subsidiary profession rating and personal strength rating were completely different concepts. In the Holy City, the top of the subsidiary professions’ pyramid was divided into three levels — Great Master, Grand Master, and Holy Master.

Just looking at the surface, there were two rankings which were above the title of a great master, which made it seem not special or top-notch enough, but frankly, practicing a subsidiary profession was more difficult than the cultivation of personal strength. Although Lan Daier was only a Great Gourmet Master, the people she worked together with were all Great Teachers and even some Sacred Teachers.

In fact, her good friend was actually very strong in the field of wards and could be considered formidable even though she was ‘just’ a Great Master… Naturally, there was no need to spell it out for Wang Zhong.

“Come sit here, and let me see.” Lan Daier’s sudden words made Wang Zhong’s heart skip a beat, but that ambiguity was destroyed with Lan Daier’s ‘work tone’. She grabbed Wang Zhong’s hand to check the state of his Soul Power and said, “Not bad. It’s very stable. You have completely digested the Palulu Turkey, and its effects have been absorbed by you. It seems like we can get started on the second course of treatment.”

“The sec— The second course?” Wang Zhong immediately sat up. He had been around Lan Daier long enough to have gained some common knowledge of these foods, and he knew that ingredients that could increase Soul Power were rather rare. Those that could be consumed by Heroic Souls directly were even rarer, and if one had already consumed a certain ingredient before, the effect of the second dose would be greatly weakened. In general, it was quite difficult for Heroic Souls to increase their Soul Power without having to experience side effects.

It was not that he didn’t consider asking Lan Daier to find some rare ingredients for him to increase his Soul Power quickly. It was just that this was a very huge favor to ask for after all. He truly didn’t expect…

“Of course, there is not only a second but also a third and fourth course.” Lan Daier smiled widely. “I’ve said that I will invest a heavy bet in you. Did you think that making you reach the middle phase of the Heroic Soul Stage is the best that I can do?”

“… Sister Daier, you are putting me in a spot. I don’t own anything valuable at all. It seems like I can only repay this graciousness by marrying you!”

“You wish. Seems like you are getting bolder. Anyway, just make sure you can provide me with a stable supply of Samsara wine. I will deduct the cost from there.” Lan Daier smiled, flicked Wang Zhong’s forehead before evaluating and confirming the state of Wang Zhong’s health again. “My goal for you is to reach 10,000 Grassos, the peak of the Heroic Soul Stage. With your outstanding physique, three more courses should be enough. Actually, the improvement of Soul Power can only play a guiding role. You play the most vital role in this. You have to absorb the power as much as possible. In addition, after each increment in Soul Power, you must meditate and stabilize it. If the power rebounds, this will all have been for nothing.”

As Lan Daier spoke, someone knocked on the door. It was Ella, and she walked in wearing a shocked expression.

Frankly, Ella was a little confused. In the afternoon, when Lan Daier asked her to prepare the stuff and deliver it here, she had already guessed it was for Wang Zhong. After all, Lan Daier had never hosted any other guests at her home. Originally, she had mentally prepared herself for this, but when she saw Wang Zhong, Ella couldn’t help but feel like rolling her eyes.

Last time, this dude didn’t pay the bill for the Palulu Turkey, and this time, the same thing was probably going to happen! As Lan Daier’s assistant and finance manager, Ella’s heart was bleeding.

“Hi, Senior Sister Ella,” Wang Zhong greeted her rather politely.

“Wang— Junior Brother Wang Zhong…” Ella’s reluctance in her response was obvious. If it wasn’t for teacher Lan Daier standing next to her, she would have smashed the food container on his head and demanded that he pay the bill immediately.

She had a runic food container in her hand, but it was much larger than the previous one.

The moment she opened the container, steam could be seen flowing out constantly. Wang Zhong looked at it with curiosity and assumed that it was similar to the Palulu Turkey with strong fire elemental properties. However, unexpectedly, Ella took out an exquisite mini copper pot. The strange thing was that it produced a constant bubbling sound, even though there was no fire heating the copper pot. It looked like a pot of soup, with huge bubbles tumbling on the soup surface. This was the source of heat in the food container.

It was also accompanied by two large bowls which contained two different types of meat. One was white in color, while the other was red. They were about the size of a palm and appeared extremely fresh.

Wang Zhong’s eyes lit up. Unlike the four small slices of meat previously, the portion of the dish was rather huge this time. What’s more was that the boiling soup in the pot exuded a strong spicy fragrance, capable of making anyone drool. “Is it mutton slices this time? Hot pot? My favorite!”

Mutton? Hot, hot pot?!

Anyway, Ella managed to hold the table in time to prevent herself from falling over. If Teacher planned to do such a thing next time, she definitely would not come to deliver food again! She wouldn’t come even if she would get a scolding; otherwise, she might die from anger just by listening to this dude speak.

Could he shut his mouth if he didn’t know his stuff?

This was Phoenix’s Nest!

Just like how swallows would use their saliva to build their nests, some fire creatures which were 8th rank and above actually had similar habits, and explorers would bring these treasures back to gourmets for them to extract the essence of the nests and convert them into an important gourmet ingredient. This pot… This pot’s price… Ella felt that she couldn’t think about it anymore.

In comparing the two setups, the plates of meat actually seemed ordinary. Of course, that was just ‘comparatively’. No matter which high-end restaurant one visited in the Holy City, the Paraswift Bird and Elven Hawksnake were definitely not low-class products. In terms of value, they were only one grade lower than the Palulu Turkey. Furthermore, when they were paired with Phoenix’s Nest, these two kinds of extremely cold meat could neutralize the fire poison of the Phoenix’s Nest to the greatest extent. It was simply a perfect fusion.

Such a high-quality combination… Yet he called them mutton and hot pot?!

“Teacher, can I smack him?” Ella almost couldn’t hold herself back.

“You really think he’s that stupid? This kid is only teasing you. Who asked you to put up a straight face when you came in?” Lan Daier just laughed. Life wasn’t easy for Ella, and Lan Daier was usually very busy. In the beginning, Lan Daier was so busy that she had no choice but to let Ella manage the restaurant’s accounts. However, she gradually let go and felt safe to let Ella take over. This little lady actually managed the accounts better than herself; her only problem was that she was a little too serious and rigid sometimes, behaving like a little miser and worrying over nothing.

As Wang Zhong looked at her with a look of refusal, Ella grew a little speechless. She felt like she was being played by both of them.

Lan Daier gave a brief introduction of the dishes. “Phoenix’s Nest, the fire energy it contains is one grade higher than the Palulu Turkey. Even when it is put on ice, it remains in a boiling state… This is really not something that can be consumed directly at the Heroic Soul Stage. Even your body wouldn’t be able to take it. Therefore, it is necessary to use Paraswift Bird and Elven Hawksnake, these two extremely cold meats, to neutralize the heat of the Phoenix’s Nest. In fact, you can directly put both kinds of meat into the Phoenix’s Nest, but if you put them inside for too long, the texture and taste of the meat will be affected. It is better to cook the meat as you eat so that you can accurately grasp the amount to eat. If your body can tolerate it, cook less meat and drink more soup. The effect will be better. But if you can’t withstand it, then you will need to rely on the meat to neutralize the Phoenix’s Nest. So if you really want to say that this is eating hot pot, that’s alright. Anyway, the way to eat them is almost the same.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Zhong picked up the chopsticks happily. After such a long day, he was really rather hungry. Although this was a pot of high-class saliva, Lan Daier had already made many adjustments to it. Other than retaining its medicinal properties, she also added many seasonings to make it taste better. Most people would be hungry just by smelling the dish. “I’m going to help myself then!”

As he swirled the thinly sliced Paraswift Bird meat in the Phoenix’s Nest, the meat was immediately covered with the thick sauce, and at the same time, the meat was directly cooked through the high temperature of the soup.

Wang Zhong seemed to act causally, but just by looking at the Phoenix’s Nest bubbling, he knew that it was by no means a normal dish. It was just like lava. Even if his Soul Power could withstand it, his internal organs might not feel so comfortable.

However, it was strange to say that the slice of meat he ate didn’t feel hot at all. It was due to the Paraswift Bird. He could feel a trace of coolness being forced out of the meat. With a layer of sauce on the meat, the diffusion of hot air was prevented, and the high temperature on the surface was reduced. This prevented his internal organs from being burnt. As he placed the meat in his mouth, he only felt that it was cold on the surface and hot on the inside. The meat was extremely tender to begin with; thus, with the addition of the freshly seasoned soup, it was like a dish meant for deities.

Wang Zhong didn’t start enjoying the dish immediately without restraint. With the previous experience of the Palulu Turkey, he specially waited for a while before eating the second piece of meat, fearing a violent reaction when the coolness of the meat was overpowered by the soup. However, he soon felt that the ice and fire in his tummy had achieved a perfect balance. Pure warm energy began to spread in his stomach, and it was extremely comfortable.

On the other hand, Ella couldn’t help but want to cover her eyes. That careful behavior… Was that the way to enjoy Phoenix’s Nest? One of the eight great gourmet dishes in the Holy City? What a waste!

Instead of experiencing complications, Wang Zhong’s stomach felt great, and he finally grew relieved. It might be due to his physical strength and Soul Power becoming more advanced or because the Phoenix’s Nest had different effects from the Palulu Turkey. Anyway, it didn’t look like there would be any drastic reaction from this.

At this time, his eyes were completely lit up. There was an opportunity for advancement right in front of him; furthermore, it was an absolutely appetizing feast. As such, Wang Zhong began to eat at lightning speed, his chopsticks and mouth constantly moving. He cleared everything and even licked the copper pot clean.

“Calm your mind and focus your energy.” Lan Daier had already begun to instruct him. “Absorb the heat that is dispersed throughout your body and retain the heat as much as you can! This is the only opportunity. Don’t miss it!”

Wang Zhong nodded his head. This was definitely not to zone out. He immediately sat down on the sofa next to him, closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and entered a state of meditation, as though he was an old and experienced monk.

“His speed of meditation is rather fast…” commented Ella, with a hint of jealousy.

Lan Daier waved her hand and said, “You can leave after packing these up. He probably won’t wake up for a really long time.”

“Okay!” Ella didn’t dare to show any sign of hesitation when it came to Lan Daier’s orders. She immediately packed up the empty food container. But before leaving, it seemed like she wanted to say something. “Teacher.”

“Yes?”

The age difference between Ella and Lan Daier was actually not large; it was only about four or five years. In the Holy Land, status was linked to power and had nothing to do with age. They knew each other in the Gourmets. Both of them had now already tacitly approved of their teacher-assistant or teacher-disciple relationship, and frankly, with Lan Daier’s temperament and as long as they were not in front of outsiders, their relationship was sort of a friendship as well.

Although a few thousand Holy Coins were really nothing to Lan Daier, this time, it was no longer a matter of a few thousand Holy Coins. Putting the Palulu Turkey aside, according to this recipe, Ella felt that Lan Daier was likely intending to give Wang Zhong the complete set of Heroic Soul courses. Even for those extremely wealthy Great Teachers in the Holy City, they might not even give their beloved disciples such luxurious treatment.

In fact, she really wanted to ask Lan Daier if doing this was worth it, but the moment she turned around, she happened to notice Lan Daier’s expression as she looked at Wang Zhong. At that moment, Ella seemed to have understood something. Eventually, she didn’t ask that question and stuck out her tongue instead. “It’s nothing. Nothing matters as long as you’re happy… This guy is so lucky!”

It would definitely be news for celebration if Lan Daier could escape the shadow of her past. Maybe she could even advance further in her gourmet career. Ella always felt that love was the best condiment for her to do so.

Lan Daier knew Ella like the back of her palm; thus, Ella was not able to hide anything from her. As such, she definitely understood what Ella was thinking about, especially with Ella’s strange expression. “Sneaky girl, don’t think too much!” chided Lan Daier, as she smiled.